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Vol. 7
No. 10
YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER - LANARK, NORTH LEEDS & GRENVILLE
OCTOBER 2020
Fall cormorant hunt welcomed by local hunters & conservationist Smiths Falls - Janelle Labelle editorial@pd gmedia.ca
Among the flocks of geese in the Smiths Falls Basin this summer, there have also been a few smaller, sleeker, quieter birds: cormorants. This shiny beauty of a bird is at the heart of a controversy in Eastern Ontario’s hunting community this fall. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Fishery (MNR) introduced a double crested cormorant hunt this fall from September 15 to December 31. Cormorants damage habitats and other bird populations, and are widely considered a pest. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters note that “Cormorants are responsible for population declines of other colonial birds such as the black-crowned night heron, great blue heron and great egret [...] This includes the loss of the only great blue heron colony on Lake Ontario, and a 56-percent decline in great egret nests in Lake Ontario.” Since the early 1970s, the Ontario government has protected the double crested cormorant. Pesticide use in the 1940s and 50s - specifically DDT - caused thinning of cormorant egg shells, which prevented reproduction and damaged the population to such an extent that it was almost extinct. Since then, the cormorant population has come roaring back so much so that hunters, conservationists, and homeowners have been dismayed by the negative
effect of the cormorant in the Great Lakes, and, in the past ten years, the Big Rideau. They have been lobbying the government to do something about the population boom. Brain Preston, a local hunter and conservationist, welcomes this fall’s cormorant hunt which allows hunters to harvest up to 15 birds per day from September 15 to December 31. Some conservationist groups are aghast that the hunt has been permitted. In an open letter to John Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, 45 scientists and ecologists protest that harvest numbers are entirely too high; “If 0.5% of small game hunters reached the daily limit for ten days that exceeds the estimated breeding population in Ontario.” “Harvesting this [amount of cormorants] is an impossibility,” explains Preston, “I’ve been out with a friend six times, and we have harvested a combined total of nine birds. Then we retrieved them and disposed of them as required by law.” In the past ten years the Rideau has seen a huge increase in cormorants as they have overflowed their habitats in the Great Lakes and are coming into the Ottawa Valley. Preston notes that this hunt, in his opinion, will not go far enough to control the cormorant population. In their letter to Minister Yakabuski, the ecologists point out that “Cormorants are a species native to Ontario. A significant amount
of financial resources was invested in creating a healthier environment which allowed them to recover; their abundance is a conservation success story.” On this point, Preston agrees. “The MNR biologists are interested in the preservation of species in balance with nature,” he explains, “And obviously nature is affected by man. But we are animals too, we have a place here too.” “There has been a population explosion in the Big Rideau, and cormorant colonies expand rapidly. One adult pair can have four chicks per year; living on an island with no predators they have a low mortality rate.” Preston adds that without further intervention from the MNR, the cormorants will continue to overwhelm the habitat and reduce populations of local fish and birds. “The only way to control it is for the MNR to oil the nests in the spring.”
Photo credits: Jaqueline Marie photography.
New rules from Premier Doug Ford bound pop our bubbles Regional - Janelle Labelle editorial@pd gmedia.ca
On October 2, Premier Doug Ford announced a pause on social bubbles. Instead of socializing within a close circle of 10 people, Ontario residents should only have close contact with members of their own households. Encounters with anyone else should be kept socially distant and masks should be worn. Social bubbles, isolating, social distancing, and mask-wearing are terms we rarely thought of last year, but by now we are all intimately familiar with them. Some of the strict anti-Covid measures were eased this summer, social
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bubbles were expanded, and seniors’ homes lifted their lockdowns, allowing some carefully screened visits. Schools reopened in September, travel between provinces increased, and previously closed businesses were permitted to open. As the second wave hits us, we’re being asked once again to dial back our socializing, and to move our social interactions online instead of in person. Video chat applications like Zoom and FaceTime allow for socially distant visits and lessons, doctors appointments and interviews. This is only helpful, however, for those who have devices on which to communicate.
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Seniors’ homes were hit particularly hard by the Covid-19 virus last spring, comprising the lion’s share of cases and, sadly, deaths. Across Ontario, 314 long-term care homes have experienced an outbreak, and approximately 30 long-term care homes in Ontario are experiencing an outbreak of COVID currently. More than 1800 residents have died. Isolation is hard on us all, but it is particularly hard on residents of seniors homes who are separated from their families, grieving the loss of their friends, and unable to connect with their loved ones. At the beginning of May, deaths in long-term care homes accounted for more than 80% of the
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deaths from COVID-19 in Canada and strict lockdown orders were enforced. In order to help the residents in their care connect with their loved ones, workers at long-term care homes have been sharing their smartphones and tablets with the residents. Nothing can replace the comfort of a warm hug and clasped hands, but a belly laugh over the internet isn’t a bad substitute. Seeing the need for seniors to have internet connected devices, Spectrum Therapeutics, the medical division of Ontario-based, Canopy Growth, has donated 57 iPads to 21 longterm care homes across Ontario to help residents connect with their family and friends, includ-
ing Rosebridge Manor outside of Smiths Falls. As Thanksgiving approaches, Ontario is asking citizens to stay apart to limit the spread of Covid-19. It is so easy to forget those who are not right in front of us. This year, more than ever, we need to remember to reach out to those who are isolated or alone. Send a video, make a telephone call, write some letters. Discover the joy of bringing a smile to someone’s eye, even if you can only see them through a screen. A civilized society is marked by its kindness to its most vulnerable members - so let’s be sure to be particularly kind, especially to those behind closed doors.
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